Q: I want to refinish the top of my counter. Presently the top of my counter is finished in brown Arborite. I'd like to perhaps apply some paint. Thank you in advance for your advice.
A: Arborite is a trade name for what we call plastic laminate. You can paint over it provided you prepare the surface correctly, but you should understand that paint, even very high quality paint, is not as durable as plastic laminate. That said, here’s how to do it.
Degrease the surface with strong detergent, then sand the Arborite to roughen the surface using 80 or 100 grit sandpaper. Apply a coat of primer such as Zinsser BIN. Once it is dry, top with a very durable paint, such as Painter’s Touch or any of the Rust-Oleum paints.
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